VIDEO EXPLOITATION OF HOMELESS PEOPLE   

The fascination with “bum bashing” continues to grow.  On YouTube alone, there are 31,500 videos with the title “Bum” and 1,150 videos with the title “Bumfights.”  In contrast, the “N” word has 1,710 videos and the “F” word, associated with gay people, has 18,200 videos.  It is astonishing that out of these derogatory words, “bum” has the most videos associated with it. This reveals something alarming about our society:  the word “bum” has become desensitized in the minds of individuals.  

Beginning in 2001, four videos were produced and placed on a website promoting “bum fighting.” Today, over 6.8 million copies of the Bumfights DVDs and videos have been sold.  As a result, teenagers began mocking the videos by recording themselves beating up homeless individuals just for the thrill of it. In early 2008, the “bum fighting” website was shut down due to a civil lawsuit filed by the homeless individuals that were involved.  The settlement also forced the company to provide financial compensation to its victims. 

These videos represent a new form of dehumanization and exploitation against homeless individuals.  NCH and NLCHP strongly discourage the use and purchase of these videos since the homeless people involved are manipulated into performing these outrageous acts. 

A majority of the time, participating homeless individuals are under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol.  Some are even lured into participating with money. 

Sadly, with the release of these videos, violent attacks against homeless individuals have soared across the nation and others have become inspired to model the videos.  In early 2007, a video of two homeless men fighting while a crowd cheers surfaced in Daytona Beach, Florida.  Advocates fear the promotion of the video will spur the production of similar videos. 

Although major retailers have stopped selling bum fighting products, some smaller companies continue to do so.  Additionally, they remain top-searched on video sharing websites.  We must act now to reverse this trend.